SATCAT Format Documentation

This documentation has been updated to include our new CSV format, which is intended to allow for easier parsing of the data (e.g., using a spreadsheet) and to support 9-digit catalog numbers. The legacy text format is not able to support catalog numbers above 99999, Unicode characters, increased precision in numerical fields, or launch/decay dates including time, due to the fixed-column format.

• CSV Data Format (RFC 4180):

  The file begins with a list of fields used in the data and is then followed by the individual entries. Entries only exist for cataloged objects, that is, there are no blank entries for missing catalog numbers.

  Field	Description
  OBJECT_NAME	Satellite Name(s) R/B(1) = Rocket body, first stage R/B(2) = Rocket body, second stage DEB = Debris PLAT = Platform Items in parentheses are alternate names Items in brackets indicate type of object (e.g., BREEZE-M DEB [TANK] = tank) An ampersand (&) indicates two or more objects are attached
  OBJECT_ID	International Designator (YYYY-NNNAAA) Launch year (4 digits) Launch of the year (3 digits) Piece of the launch (1-3 alphabetic characters, excluding I and O)
  NORAD_CAT_ID	NORAD Catalog Number
  OBJECT_TYPE	Object type PAY = Payload R/B = Rocket body DEB = Other debris UNK = Unknown
  OPS_STATUS_CODE	Operational Status Code
  OWNER	Ownership
  LAUNCH_DATE	Launch Date [year-month-day] (ISO 8601)
  LAUNCH_SITE	Launch Site
  DECAY_DATE	Decay Date, if applicable [year-month-day] (ISO 8601)
  PERIOD	Orbital period [minutes]
  INCLINATION	Inclination [degrees]
  APOGEE	Apogee Altitude [kilometers]
  PERIGEE	Perigee Altitude [kilometers]
  RCS	Radar Cross Section [meters2]; blank if no data available
  DATA_STATUS_CODE	Data status code; blank otherwise NCE = No Current Elements NIE = No Initial Elements NEA = No Elements Available
  ORBIT_CENTER	Orbit center AS = Asteroid CO = Comet EA = Earth ELx = Earth Lagrange (EL1 = Earth L1, EL2 = Earth L2) EM = Earth-Moon Barycenter JU = Jupiter MA = Mars ME = Mercury MO = Moon (Earth) NE = Neptune PL = Pluto SA = Saturn SS = Solar System Escape SU = Sun UR = Uranus VE = Venus NORAD_CAT_ID for docked objects
  ORBIT_TYPE	Orbit type ORB = Orbit LAN = Landing IMP = Impact DOC = Docked to another object in the SATCAT R/T = Roundtrip

---

• Legacy Text Data Format:

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Column
  000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000111111111111111111111111111111111
  000000000111111111122222222223333333333444444444455555555556666666666777777777788888888889999999999000000000011111111112222222222333
  123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  yyyy-nnnaaa  nnnnn M*O aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa  aaaaa  yyyy-mm-dd  aaaaa  yyyy-mm-dd  nnnnn.n  nnn.n  nnnnnn  nnnnnn  nnn.nnnn  aaa
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  

  Columns	Description
  001-011	International Designator Launch Year (001-004) Launch of the Year (006-008) Piece of the Launch (009-011)
  014-018	NORAD Catalog Number
  020-020	Multiple Name Flag ("M" if multiple names exist; alternate names found in satcat-annex.txt)
  021-021	Payload Flag ("*" if payload; blank otherwise)
  022-022	Operational Status Code
  024-047	Satellite Name(s) R/B(1) = Rocket body, first stage R/B(2) = Rocket body, second stage DEB = Debris PLAT = Platform Items in parentheses are alternate names Items in brackets indicate type of object (e.g., BREEZE-M DEB [TANK] = tank) An ampersand (&) indicates two or more objects are attached
  050-054	Source or Ownership
  057-066	Launch Date [year-month-day]
  069-073	Launch Site
  076-085	Decay Date, if applicable [year-month-day]
  088-094	Orbital period [minutes]
  097-101	Inclination [degrees]
  104-109	Apogee Altitude [kilometers]
  112-117	Perigee Altitude [kilometers]
  120-127	Radar Cross Section [meters2]; N/A if no data available
  130-132	Orbital Status Code NCE = No Current Elements NIE = No Initial Elements NEA = No Elements Available DOC = Permanently Docked ISS = Docked to International Space Station XXN = Central Body (XX) and Orbit Type (N) AS = Asteroid EA = Earth (default if blank) EL = Earth Lagrange EM = Earth-Moon Barycenter JU = Jupiter MA = Mars ME = Mercury MO = Moon (Earth) NE = Neptune PL = Pluto SA = Saturn SS = Solar System Escape SU = Sun UR = Uranus VE = Venus 0 = Orbit 1 = Landing 2 = Impact 3 = Roundtrip (e.g., SU0 = Heliocentric Orbit, MO2 = Lunar Impact)